Page 6 of The Wolf's Plus-Size Bride

Great. Just great.

“Hey, Jane!” The excitement in Sonya’s voice nearly makes me cringe, and I freeze, resisting the urge to let my eyes sweep to Reiner’s. “I thought you disappeared on me. Come watch my drink, will you? I gotta pee.”

Slowly, I creep closer. As soon as I sit down and order another drink, she brushes my shoulder in passing and jets off, leaving me alone next to Mr. Perfect.

“Hey, sugar,” he grumbles without so much as looking at me. “Long time, no see.”

Of all the fucking sardonic shits in the world. “Good to see you, too. Actually, that’s a lie. I’m not exactly thrilled to see you.”

Reiner takes a deep pull from his bottle. “Color me surprised.”

I glare at him, twisting around in the seat to face him. His face is stoic, but there’s something about his eyes, the way the honey-brown color is so… muddled. Dark. Gloomy, even.

“Looks like someone’s in a good mood,” I snap, then instantly feel guilty about it. He could very well have a good reason for looking so sullen.

“Yeah, well,” he quips back just as snarkily. “Someone stole my usual spot, but I guess I should get used to Stardust Hollow wolves invading my territory, huh?”

Ouch. That was rude. If he’s trying to rile me up, he succeeded, because I’m suddenly fuming. Who does this shithead think he is, anyway?

“Invading your territory?” I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “Sorry, buddy. I wasn’t aware you had a claim on the place.”

Finally, he turns to me, his scowl making my skin pebble. Something about his expression looks fierce and desperate, almost anguished. In that moment, he looks so worn down. “Listen, I’m not in the mood, okay? I came here to get away from you people.”

“What the hell did we ever do to you? Pardon us for showing up at the order of both our alphas. You’ve got a real fucking complex, you know that?”

Reiner reaches up, snatches his bottle off the bar, and tosses back another gulp. His throat works, flexing in the mostmaddening way, and for a second, I forget what I was saying. “My problem is every time they bring our packs together, someone gets on me about sniffing around your she-wolves to find a mate. It’s none of their damn business, but somehow they back me into such a tight corner that I have to lie and say I found one just to get them to leave me alone. If your pack would just stay away, I wouldn’t have to lie.”

Did he just say what I think he said? I burst out laughing, nearly falling out of my chair as I double over with tears in the corner of my eyes. “You’ve got to be joking! What are the chances?”

To my absolute pleasure, his hard features crack, and his stern expression morphs into a reluctant smile. The transformation knocks the breath from my lungs, and I’m left speechless as he gestures for me to continue.

“I’m sitting here, at this bar, because I lied about the same thing to my aunt and uncle. They keep trying to set me up with men from your pack. I freaked out, and now I’ve told them that I’m seeing someone.”

He lets out a disgruntled scoff, finishing the rest of his beer. “You can’t be serious.”

With a nervous giggle, I admit, “But I am. Turns out, we’re in the same boat. Un-fucking-believable. Almost like the damn stars are aligned.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the door to the bar open, and a group of males file in. I recognize them at once. They’re the same friends who came with Reiner to Stardust Hollow. The same ones who laughed at me when I ran out crying after the shit he pulled.

Of course they’d show up here, too. And just as soon as I had started to relax and enjoy the night. Great. How perfect.

Chapter 3 - Reiner

I smelled her before I actually saw her. As soon as I closed my car door and started walking to the door, a rush of cherry blossoms wafted past me on the breeze. At first, I convinced myself I was being delusional, but the closer I got to the entrance of the bar, the stronger the scent became. I tried like hell to keep walking, to not glance in her direction, but I wasn’t strong enough to resist.

There she was, sitting all alone on the outside deck in that adorable little dress that fits her curvaceous body so perfectly. And now, she’s sitting just a few feet away from me with that same shy little smile that drew me in the first time we met. Her midnight-black hair is a little longer now, stopping just below her shoulder line, and it’s silky and shiny as ever, accentuating her pale skin. Like magnets, those gray eyes always seem to draw mine and hold them hostage, like she cast a spell that I’m powerless to avoid.

That sharp tongue has gained a few barbs, it seems. Every damn time she opens her mouth to speak, she jabs, poking holes in me. I guess I’ve earned it, given the way I treated her the last and only time we spoke, but her attitude isn’t really winning any awards with me. Still, no matter how much she insults and ridicules me, my cock can’t ignore her sassy little mouth. Or the way she squirms when she’s angry. Those full tits look amazing in that dress, and it isn’t hard to imagine sinking down between the cushions of her ample cleavage.

When her face falls as she glances over my shoulder, it’s like a huge ice cube has been tossed down the back of my shirt. I spin around in my stool, facing the group of men coming in. Jack, along with Piper’s brothers, Lenny and Riley, are waltzing toward us, each one sending up a smug warning in my head.Right behind them is an older man and woman I don’t recognize, but judging by the look of panic on Jane’s face, I gather she does. That must be the aunt and uncle she spoke of.

Damn it all to hell. I told Jack I was going out to meet up with my pretend girlfriend, using it as an excuse to get a breather from them. I didn’t expect them to come tracking me down. Well, I knew this lie would come back to bite me in the ass sooner or later. At least I’m not alone. Jane’s screwed, too, I realize.

Unless…

Don’t be stupid, a voice whispers to me.Do not do what you’re thinking.

It’s a dumb plan. I should put it out of my mind right away. Dwelling on something so bone-headed and idiotic will only lead to trouble. After all, Jane can’t stand me, and despite the attraction I feel toward her, she isn’t the kind of woman I would want to play house with, either. Besides, in the grand scheme of things, I don’t need this kind of complication in my life.

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